1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a splicer for connecting light waveguides. More particularly, it relates to a splicer for connecting light waveguides that provides double clamping.
2. Discussion of Related Art
A communications network, constructed with light waveguides, needs splicing of fiber optic cable under certain circumstances. The methods of extending light waveguides includes fusion splicing and mechanical splicing technics. According to the mechanical splicing technique, two optical fibers are mechanically joined to each other by making cores of two fibers meet in a V-shaped centering groove. In contrast with fusion splicing techniques, this mechanical splicing technique does not employ electric power, and can be easily carried out in the field. Since a conventional splicer for light waveguides does not clamp coated or jacketed light waveguide regions effectively, stress concentrates on cladded regions, thus easily breaking the fiber optic filament. To prevent breakage of the optical fiber, it is necessary to clamp and hold outer layers of a jacket so that the stress applied to the fiber optic cable is not directly applied to the cladded regions.
A conventional splicer for fiber optic cable is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,850,671. Japanese Patent Application No. 89-174977 (filed on Jul. 6, 1989) has proposed a splicer for fiber optic cable having the clamping function. In the conventional splicer, a cover plate is laid on a base plate while light waveguides are tuned therein, and the cladded and jacketed filaments of the light waveguides are clamped simultaneously. When the cover plate is laid on the base plate, the connecting condition of the light waveguides may vary. Whenever the connecting condition of the light waveguides inserted into the splicer is inferior, there are problems tuning the light waveguides again after disassembling the splicer. Thus, according to more effective tuning mechanism, the cladded or jacketed fiber optic elements are first clamped, before the remaining parts of the fiber optic cable are clamped.